Local growing natural latex and rubber
News 11’s Valeria Rodriguez spoke to John Beckett and the University of Arizona to see what the future of rubber production could be in Yuma
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A Yuma man is growing a plant, commonly known as rubber vine, that naturally produces rubber.
He believes it could help Yuma County economically.
This little plant can produce rubber that can be used to make many things, including tires and gloves.
Rubber grower, John Beckett, shows how easy it is to remove the rubber.
He gained all his knowledge from his dad.
“He ran the experimental farm for the USDA back in Bard, California in the 20s," said Beckett.
Beckett has been doing this for about 40 years and said it's all about patience.
“It honestly took me a few years to discover the matter in to grow it, shape the vines, harvest it, process it and to make end product," explained Beckett.
In the 1980s, Beckett and his dad started growing rubber vines in Yuma.
“They grew a quite bit of it but they didn’t have the harvesters and I didn’t either and so it was never turned into a big product," stated Beckett.
In the many years, they handled the plant, they found another natural rubber source, the guayule plant, but Beckett said, “The quality is nowhere near to the quality of this rubber.”
Beckett also has about 10 copyrights of how to harvest the rubber and latex from the tree.
The University of Arizona has been experimenting with guayule since 2012 and is learning what else it can produce.
“Bagasse what they call, which is what's left after extract. You know your rubber. It can be used, I believe, for biofuel and for other site products," explained Dr. Diaa Elshikha, Assistant Irrigation Specialist for the University of Arizona.
Dr. Elshikha explains why these types of plants may not be taking off in Yuma County anytime soon.
“They grow vegetables to cover most of the U.S. and Canada. That's that's a big industry. And for it to ask them to move to guayule suddenly compared to another crop that they grew for at least 80 years, and they're very familiar with it, and you get good money out of it. It's it's very hard," stated Elshikha.
Despite not having success, Beckett is still very hopeful a farmer would want to connect with him to start growing rubber vines in the fields here.
